Electrical ignition wires are essentially comprised of a central conductor such as copper wire surrounded by an insulating material. Crosslinked silicone rubber is desirable as the insulating material because it has appropriate electrical insulating properties and provides resistance to degradation by oil, water, heat and atmospheric conditions encountered surrounding an internal combustion engine. Unfortunately the silicone rubber is relatively expensive and the stiffness and tensile strength properties of the crosslinked material on the copper conductor are inadequate for this application.
Ethylene-vinyl acetate resins have appropriate electrical insulating properties for use in ignition wires and have satisfactory mechanical strength properties. Since the ethylene-vinyl acetate resins do not have the same oil, water, heat and oxidative resistance characteristics as the crosslinked silicone rubber, it is apparent that an ignition wire having a central copper conductor surrounded by a crosslinked ethylene-vinyl acetate resin which in turn is surrounded by crosslinked silicone rubber would combine the desirable characteristics of the two polymer materials and overcome the foregoing problems. Unfortunately, the adhesion of crosslinked ethylene-vinyl acetate resins to crosslinked silicone rubber is marginal at best.
Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to provide a method by which the bonding of crosslinked ethylene-vinyl acetate resins to crosslinked silicone rubber is improved so that superior electrical insulated products can be achieved. This and other objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description.